Divergent from Four's Point of View
by BraveryIsToActInSpiteOfFear
Summary: Divergent by Veronica Roth told from Four's point of view
1. Chapter 1

**Part One**

I can hear the shouts of the new initiates returning. I smirk as I listen to their anxious questions about the hole. There is a bit of a scuffle and suddenly someone is falling down. I walk towards the net but stiffen as I recognize the plain grey clothes. An Abnegation transfer. Lauren slaps my back as she passes

"Scared of the initiates are we four?" She whispers into my ear. I glare at her and follow, offering my hand to the tiny, stiff girl who jumped first. She grabs it gratefully and I pull her up.

"Thank you" she says but I am too busy analyzing her face. I don't recognize her, average looking, tiny. The Abnegation are not to be memorable.

"Can't believe it" a voice behind me says "A stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of." Lauren smirks at the girl.

"There's are reason why she left them, Lauren" I say, feeling a strange need to protect this girl. "What's your name?" I ask her and she hesitates "Think about it" I smile "you don't get to pick again." She looks up and smiles back.

"Tris" she says finally.

"Tris" Lauren repeats. "Make the announcement Four" I look behind me and yell

"First jumper –Tris." Everyone cheers and another initiate drops into the net, screaming as she falls. I put my hand on Tris's back "Welcome to Dauntless" I tell her.

When all the initiates have jumped, Lauren and I lead them through the Dauntless headquarters, my home. Eventually we divide into Dauntless born and transfers. I am left with nine transfers. I wait for their attention then address them,

"Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few week I will be your instructor. My name is Four."

"Four ?" A Candor transfer girl asks "like the number?"

"Yes" I tell her, "Is there a problem?"

"No" she backs down and I notice Tris watching me intently. I turn back to the group, avoiding her gaze.

"Good, we're about to enter the pit which you will someday learn to love."

"The pit?" The Candor girl snickers, "clever name." I walk up to her and lean in close to her face. Narrowing my eyes, I stare at her then ask quietly,

"What is your name?"

"Christina" she squeaks.

"Well, Christina, if I had wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths I would have joined their faction" I hiss, "the first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?" She nods and I turn around and lead the transfers down the tunnel. I hear Christina whisper to Tris

"What a jerk" she says and I listen for Tris's reply.

"I guess he just doesn't like to be laughed at" her voice is soft but steady, I grin, typical Abnegation, making a simple comment that will offend neither side.

I turn around as we enter the pit and smirk in satisfaction as Christina's jaw drops. I lead them through, past the chasm and into the cafeteria. We look for empty seats and I end up at a table with Tris and Christina. Tris stares at the hamburgers in the middle of the table and pinches one, unsure what to make of it. I grin, thinking about when I first came to Dauntless. I nudge her,

"Its beef" I say and hand her the ketchup "put this on it." Christina stares at Tris.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" She asks, her eyes wide.

"No," Tris wrinkles her nose "Is that what it's called?"

"Stiffs eat plain food" I tell Christina and she frowns

"Why?" she asks bluntly and Tris shrugs

"Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary" she says, quoting the typical stiff answer to everything.

"No wonder you left" Christina smirks. Tris grins

"Yeah" she rolls her eyes "It was just because of the food." I try not to laugh but feel the corner of my mouth twitch. A stiff cracking jokes? As Lauren would say; unheard of. But there was something different about this girl, I could tell already. And I wanted to know more. Hope stirred within me; was she like me? I looked at her, still absorbed in her hamburger. 'Do you get it?' I wanted to ask, 'are you Divergent?'


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

The doors to the cafeteria open interrupting my thoughts, and a hush falls over the room. I grimace as I look over my shoulder. It is Eric. Of course. I feel Tris shiver beside me and I imagine what she must being seeing. The multiple piercings, the dark greasy hair, the cold look in his eyes. Eric scares everyone; he should probably scare me too. But I've beaten him once, I can do it again.

"Who's that?" hisses Christina and I turn my head in surprise, I'd forgotten they were there.

"His name is Eric," I tell her. "He's a Dauntless leader."

"Seriously? But he's so young." Christina exclaims. I keep my eyes on her face as I answer.

"Age doesn't matter here." I say. I can see she has more to ask but, Eric spots me and heads towards our table. I turn back to my hamburger. He drops into the seat next to me.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" he asks, nodding to Christina and Tris. I hesitate, I don't want Eric to know Tris, I don't want him to talk to her. I want him to stay as far away as possible from this girl. But Eric is waiting

"This is Tris and Christina." I reply.

"Ooh, a Stiff," says Eric and he smirks at Tris and she winces as his smile pulls at the piercings in his lips, making the holes wider.

"We'll see how long you last." He taps his fingers against the table. "What

have you been doing lately, Four?" he asks. I shrug.

"Nothing, really," I say. I watch as Tris's eyes flit between me and Eric, asking unspoken questions. Her brow furrows and I imagine how strange we must look. Inquiring after each other's wellbeing, acting like friends but looking like we could –and want to- beat each other to a pulp.

"Max tells me he keeps trying to meet with you, and you don't show up," Eric says. I hide my grin as I realize what he really wants. "He requested that I find out what's going on with you." I look at Eric for a few seconds.

"Tell him that I am satisfied with the position I currently hold." I tell him.

"So he wants to give you a job." I can hear the jealousy and insecurity in his voice.

"So it would seem," I say.

"And you aren't interested?" He asks hopefully.

"I haven't been interested for two years." I say.

"Well," says Eric. "Let's hope he gets the point, then." He grins and claps me on the shoulder, a little too hard to keep up the friendly facade, and gets up.

"Are you two...friends?" Tris asks me and I look at her in shock. I had never expected her to actually ask the questions I could tell she was thinking during the whole scene with Eric.

"We were in the same initiate class," I say carefully. "He transferred from Erudite." Please don't ask, please don't ask, I think. And she asks,

"Were you a transfer too?" I groan inside. I don't want to go there. Not even for Tris.

"I thought I would only have trouble with the Candor asking too many questions, "I say coldly. "Now I've got Stiffs, too?" I wince as she pulls back a little. But this girl is stronger than she looks.

"It must be because you're so approachable," She says flatly. "You know. Like a bed of nails." I want to smile even though this is not how I want her to see me. Instead I stare at her but she doesn't look away. A challenge. We hold the tension for what seems like and eternity but even though she is challenging me, even though I don't want her to know my secrets, the only thing I notice the whole time is the pretty, intense blue of her eyes. I break the hold finally.

"Careful, Tris." I say, and leave as Zeke calls my name from where he sits with Lauren. Tris looks down, her cheeks flushing and I feel bad. But she has to pass initiation. I can't baby her, no matter how much I want to. Tris, you have to be strong.


	3. Chapter 3

**PART THREE **

I slip away after dinner. I know what happens next. Eric is now in charge of the initiates and he will give them a tour. I don't want to be there when they realize that only ten of the nineteen will actually make it into Dauntless. I try to block the thought without success. Ten of those nineteen are Dauntless born who already have a head start. One of the nine transfers is a tiny abnegation girl who has most likely never even thought about fighting before. Someone who will not be able to even watch the others get beat in a fight let alone beat someone else even at the expense of her own pain. Her odds aren't good. Not good at all. But I still want her to do it. To be strong. To beat all the others. I only met the girl today but already I feel that if she becomes factionless, there won't be anything keeping me from leaving Dauntless.

Eric catches up with me before I can step into my room.

"So, the initiates are all tucked up in bed." He grins darkly

"Scared them did we Eric?" I ask dryly and he smirks.

"If they got scared by learning a place in Dauntless won't be handed to them on a silver platter then I don't think we want them" he sneers.

"True" I reply "how did they take it?" I really only want to know about Tris. But asking after the stiff specifically would not be the best idea." Eric actually considers my question

"Hmm, a few looked like they were about to cry. One, a Candor transfer –not your friend- actually nearly said that if they'd known they wouldn't have chosen Dauntless." I roll my eyes

"There's always a few like that."I say "But I don't make friends with the initiates Eric." He laughed coldly.

"I should hope not." he says "oh, and the stiff girl" I raise my eyebrows, heart pounding.

"Yeah?" I ask "What about her?"

"She's a strange one that girl." He tells me "didn't look scared at all. Not like a stiff. Especially with their initiation and all." I grin, stiff initiation is just 100 days of community service, showing how much you care and how selfless you can be.

"Well, I guess she really is Dauntless at heart." He shrugs

"Yeah, I guess so. She got this look in her eye. Like total determination. I'm thinking she's gonna do whatever it takes to join our faction." I smirk at Eric but inside am feeling both relieved and incredibly happy at the same time.

"Well" I say to Eric "that's flattering isn't it." I wink and step into my room, closing my door in his face.

"The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight." I tell the initiates the next morning as I hand out the guns. "Thankfully, if you are here, you already know how to get on and off a moving train, so I don't need to teach you that." They all look half asleep and a few, including Tris, look surprised as if they didn't expect to be training already. "Initiation is divided into three stages. We will measure your progress and rank you according to your performance in each stage. The stages are not weighed equally in determining your final rank, so it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time." I turn to face the line of initiates. Most stare back blankly but a range of emotions flit across Tris's face. "We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear," I say. "Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third, primarily mental."

"But what..." A Candor boy asks yawning. "What does firing a gun have to do with ...bravery?" I shake my head slowly then flip the gun in my hand and press the barrel to his forehead. I click a bullet into place and the boy freezes with his lips parted, the yawn dead in his mouth.

"Wake. Up," I snap. "You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it." I lower the gun but once the immediate threat is gone, the boy's eyes harden. He looks like he is going to reply so I wait but he stays silent, his cheeks turning red. "And to answer your question...you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself." I look along the line of initiates. "This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me." I face the wall with the targets on it and fire. The bullet goes through the middle circle as usual. The initiates turn to their own targets. Most start firing straight away but Tris looks back and forth between the gun in her hands and the target as if they might bite. I start to walk towards her, to help her but I stop myself. She has to do this herself if she's going to pass initiation. I turn away and watch the other initiates instead, purposely keeping my eyes off her. Finally, out the corner of my eye, I see her fire her gun. She misses every time until the boy next to her says something to her. She grins at him and continues to aim for the target. I realize I've given up on my resolve not to watch her. After five rounds, she hits the middle of the target and her smile matches mine. I think the little abnegation girl might have found where she belongs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part Four**

I lead the initiates to the cafeteria then join Zeke and Shauna. I resist the urge to look over my shoulder at Tris. Stop this, I tell myself. Just because she's from home doesn't mean you have to focus on her so much. She's not a kid you need to protect. I reach the table and slide in next to Zeke.

"Four, hey, what's up?" Zeke grins. I shrug, a smile spreading across my face.

"Just, training initiates and all." I wink.

"Brings back memories doesn't it" Zeke laughs and Shauna and I join in.

"Yeah, hoping the new guy from abnegation isn't going to show you up." Shauna teases poking my side. Zeke elbows me.

"Check out the other stiff" he grins and my head snaps up immediately to focus on her.

"What?" I ask impatiently. "What about her?" Zeke tilts his head towards the table where she is sitting with Christina and the Erudite boy that made her smile during shooting this morning.

"Someone's getting a little embarrassed" He snickers and I notice her face is bright red. The Erudite boy nudges her and Christina is grinning. Finally she cracks a smile. I check my folder. The Erudite boy is called Will. He says something to Tris and she laughs but she shakes her head. I feel something twinge in my stomach. What is he saying to her? Is it so bad to wish that it was _me_ making her laugh?

After lunch, I lead the initiates to the training room. They look at the chalkboard with their names written with a mixture of awe and fear on their faces.

I point them towards the punching bags and they line up behind them.

"As I said this morning," I say, "next you will learn how to fight. The purpose of this is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to threats and challenges -which you will need, if you intend to survive life as a Dauntless." They stare at me blankly and I sigh.

"We will go over technique today, and tomorrow you will start to fight each other," I tell them. "So I recommend that you pay attention. Those who don't learn fast will get hurt." I demonstrate a few punches, their eyes on me the whole time. I motion for them to practice and they turn around and begin hitting the bags. A few are quite good, better than I expected for transfers. As I wander through the flailing limbs, I notice Tris. She is putting all her effort into hitting the bag but it's barely moving. I stop in front of her and pretend to examine her as if it were the first time.

"You don't have much muscle," I tell her, "which means you're better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them." I press my hand to her stomach trying to ignore the electricity I feel. I feel her breath draw in sharply. She is tiny, so tiny that when the heel of my hand touches one side of her rib cage, my fingertips still touch the other side. "Never forget to keep tension here," I says in a quiet voice. I lift his hand and keep walking. Tris stands still, not moving until long after I leave. Either she's scared of me, or maybe, she felt the electricity too.


End file.
